Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 17: The Government today said a “Clean Air – An Action Plan” for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is under formulation, with consultations with stakeholder departments currently in progress, even as it reported overall improvement in air quality across major cities and key tourist destinations over the past two years.
Replying to question by MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania in the Legislative Assembly, the Government said average annual Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in Jammu, Srinagar and prominent tourist locations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Patnitop and the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine axis largely remained in the “satisfactory” to “moderate” category.
According to data placed in the House, Jammu’s average annual AQI declined from about 99.7 in 2021 to 89.95 in 2025, while Srinagar recorded an average of around 94.75 in 2025. Tourist destinations showed lower values, with figures in the mid-40s to mid-60s range in 2025, indicating comparatively cleaner air.
The Government said a source apportionment study carried out by the Aerosol Research Group of Central University of Jammu in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee found that Jammu’s air pollution is mainly driven by secondary aerosols (22%), roadside dust (16%) and motor vehicles (7%), along with contributions from construction activity, diesel generators and waste burning. A similar study for Srinagar is currently in progress.
It added that concentrations of sulphur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) remain well below prescribed national ambient air quality standards across monitoring stations.
At present, Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) are operational in Jammu and at Rajbagh in Srinagar for real-time tracking. Two Continuous Emission and Effluent Quality Monitoring Systems have also been installed by cement industries in Khrew (Pulwama) and Khonmoh (Srinagar). The government said procurement of additional CAAQMS for Jammu district has been initiated, and four sensor-based real-time stations are proposed in Samba and Kathua in 2026-27.
Under the National Clean Air Programme, Jammu and Srinagar are being targeted for reductions in PM10 and PM2.5 levels. Since the programme’s launch, PM10 in Jammu has fallen from 155 µg/m³ in 2020-21 to 89.95 µg/m³ in 2025, while Srinagar recorded a reduction from around 100 to 94.75 µg/m³ over the same period. Baseline PM10 levels in Srinagar of 132 µg/m³ (2018-19) have dropped to about 81 µg/m³, a 39% decrease.
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